US 12,226,906 B2
Decentralized rotary actuator
Dirk Lefeber, Puurs (BE); David Rodríguez Cianca, Madrid (ES); and Carlos David Rodriguez Guerrero, Ixelles (BE)
Assigned to VRIJE UNIVERSITEIT BRUSSEL, Brussels (BE)
Appl. No. 17/047,164
Filed by VRIJE UNIVERSITEIT BRUSSEL, Brussels (BE)
PCT Filed Apr. 17, 2019, PCT No. PCT/EP2019/059900
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Oct. 13, 2020,
PCT Pub. No. WO2019/201982, PCT Pub. Date Oct. 24, 2019.
Claims priority of application No. 18167799 (EP), filed on Apr. 17, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2021/0122040 A1, Apr. 29, 2021
Int. Cl. A61H 3/00 (2006.01); B25J 9/00 (2006.01); B25J 9/16 (2006.01); B25J 13/08 (2006.01)
CPC B25J 9/1633 (2013.01) [A61H 3/00 (2013.01); B25J 9/0006 (2013.01); B25J 13/085 (2013.01); A61H 2201/149 (2013.01); A61H 2201/165 (2013.01); A61H 2201/1659 (2013.01); A61H 2201/5061 (2013.01); A61H 2201/5069 (2013.01); A61H 2203/03 (2013.01)] 13 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. Device for actuating a joint of a human, an animal or a robot, comprising:
a mechanical joint;
a motor for providing torque to the mechanical joint; and
an elongated, lengthwise flexible and torsionally elastic body, whereby the device is configured for transmitting torque from the motor to the mechanical joint via the body, wherein the device further comprises a sensor cluster configured for determining torsional deformation information of the body, whereby the device is configured for driving the motor based at least in part on output from said sensor cluster,
wherein the device comprises a flexible drive shaft, the flexible drive shaft comprising a rotatable, elongated, lengthwise flexible and torsionally elastic inner shaft, an outer casing, a distal end, a proximal end, and a connector on each of the distal and proximal ends, whereby said body is said rotatable inner shaft.
 
13. Method for actuating a joint of a human, an animal or a robot, comprising the steps of:
providing an elongated, lengthwise flexible and torsionally elastic body comprising a distal end and a proximal end;
determining torsional deformation information of the body; and
determining an input for the proximal end of the body based at least in part on a desired output torque at the distal end of the body and the torsional deformation information; and
applying the input at the proximal end of the body,
the method further comprises the step of providing a flexible drive shaft, the flexible drive shaft comprising a rotatable, elongated, lengthwise flexible and torsionally elastic inner shaft, an outer casing, a distal end, a proximal end, and a connector on each of the distal and proximal ends, whereby said body is said rotatable inner shaft.